Systematic review meeting

Jun

PPO Secretariat met with the stakeholder advisory group on the topic “What do we recommend ISO to do based on the results of the systematic review 2017?”

The ISO member countries voted 11 CONFIRM (keep as it is) and 12 REVISE (update/change) with an additional 7 abstentions which are noted.52 % in favour of revision is indeed a single majority, but a weak indication. Thus, the content of the technical comments sent together with the votes must be carefully analyzed and discussed before PPO Secretariat sends its recommendation to ISO TMB (who decides the next steps).

A preliminary interpretation of the stakeholder meeting advice taking the comments from the ISO member bodies:

we should not recommend only a minor revision (editorial, minor update)

we should not recommend only a partial revision (an amendment)

we should recommend a revision with limitations based on the comments

Some of the technical comments affecting such limitations that were discussed:

include updates made in key international instruments (NOTE: there are 170+ references in the bibliograph such as the ILO Conventions, UN Guiding Principles for Business and Human Rights, OECD Guidelines

In addition, the “New Work Item Proposal” that set out the scope of ISO 26000 in 2005 is still valid. This means that much of the tone, scope, structure is expected to be similar in a future revised version.

PPO Secretariat is now developing a statement capturing the boundaries of a proposed revision. If TMB, after consulting with ISO 26000 PPO and others, finds that ISO 26000 should be revised, the international work is likely to start at the end of 2017 or beginning 2018.